Hospital headlines

On November 16th, Cholly Boland, CEO for Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH), spoke with reporters, giving updates on what is happening at the local hospital.

He told reporters that there’s “a lot of things we do that are worthy of note.”

“We are in the process of developing a research initiative.”

In addition, “we have academic programs and placement programs for everything possible,” said Boland. He reported talking to many students at the University of Ottawa as well as the Elizabeth Bruyere Institute.

He said WDMH has “nurses and doctors at every stage of their training. We have two medical residents.”

Boland is also trying to attract administration students to the hospital through visits to the University of Ottawa.

He said the “backbone” of the hospital is technology, where computerization and the full implementation of patient information will allow all departments to be “connected with one source of communication.”

Boland believes that the health professional’s “biggest tool is information.”

Having a patient’s information all stored in one location that’s easily accessible to all health care professionals is “really invaluable. It’s really going to move us ahead.”

Boland also talked about working in conjunction with the Ottawa Hospital “to bring more services (like surgery) here and,” he continued, “helping Ottawa, which is a bottleneck” with lengthy emergency room wait times.

The integration of Dundas Manor with the hospital is expected to be “concluded some time early next year, subject to the government giving us final approval.”

As for the controversy over the purchase of Dundas Manor, Boland said, “the owners of Dundas Manor were looking for a buyer and they could have picked anyone. We’re a public organization. We’re all about health care.”

“None of the money will go to profit; it will all be reinvested.”

According to Boland, “the first driving force is to provide quality healthcare.”

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Hydro is coming to Morrisburg’s Industrial Park. Municipality of South Dundas council members approved the installation of eight kilovolt and 44 kilovolt hydro service along the north side of Campbell Street and eight kilovolt hydro […]

While the public health department is concerned with threats to the overall health of the community, often the biggest threats to public health revolve around factors outside the realm of health care facilities.

Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, medical officer of health with the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, spoke with South Dundas council at the May 6 meeting about health data and trends across the province, Eastern Ontario and Dundas County.

According to the stats presented, this area has higher rates of chronic disease, more smokers, and more mental health issues.

Following his presentation, South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds asked the doctor to provide council with some advice about actions council can take to help improve the health of this community.

Roumeliotis explained that the bulk of the determinants of health relate to social and economic factors, and that council needs to do all they can to remove barriers to ensure that the children of South Dundas get the best possible start in life.

Roumeliotis explained that according to the data, this area has a significant percentage of single parent families (11-12%) and the prevalence of poverty is quite high.

These factors are known to have a negative impact on childhood development, which in turn is known to lead to poorer longterm health.

“We need to concentrate on our youth by offering support to these mothers and their kids. Kids need to have the best possible start in life. That can really make a big difference,” said Roumeliotis.

“We need to recognize that the community environment translates into health, both good and bad health. You as a council help determine the health of the environment,” he said suggesting that an environment with plenty of free recreational opportunities promotes active living in a community.

It’s a go! With the Morrisburg and District Lions Club making a huge $20,000 splash on Monday evening, the $200,000 Splash Pad Project goal has been reached and kiddies from throughout South Dundas can expect to see shovels in the ground this week. If all goes well, they could be splashing away by early July.

“This finishes off the fundraising,” said Mike Domanko who was wearing two coats at the Monday night’s presentation as a Lions Club member and a member of the Splash Pad committee.

“This donation is wonderful. We finished the play park in 2011, and we have been actively working towards the splash pad for the last couple of years. It took a bit longer than we had anticipated, but we have made it.”

This latest donation from the Morrisburg and District Lions Club, under president Bruce MacIntosh is in addition to $5,000 donated when the project first launched.

“We wanted to finish it off,” said Lion Judy Charette.

“We [The Lions] are always helping the community,” said MacIntosh. “And we are always happy to help the kids.”

The Lions donation of $20,000 is from the operation of their Docksyde Snack Bar, located near the Morrisburg public dock area. MacIntosh explained that it is mandated that money made at the Docksyde goes back into the local parkland.

Previous projects that Docksyde money has funded include the lighting along the waterfront walkway, the beautiful Lions Pavilion, the interlocking paving enhancement around the Morrisburg Legion Branch 48 Memorial and the finger docks.

The Docksyde has just started its 12th season of operation. “It is just great,” said Charette of the Docksyde operation. “We get a grant to hire students, and this helps us to make ends meet in addition to providing employment for our local kids.”

The Lions donation total of $25,000 is part of a $200,000 South Dundas community fundraising effort that was generously supported by clubs, businesses and individuals over the past couple of years. In addition, the Splash Pad committee organized several fundraising runs which were hugely supported by the community, young and old.

Coming up, the excavation, expected to take place this week, is donated by Cruickshank Construction. The local company has also donated the gravel, and Lloyd McMillan Equipment has donated the trucking to deliver the gravel.

“The splash pad people are scheduled to be here Monday, and it takes them one week,” said Domanko. “The municipality has set a tender to supply water, sewer and electricity to the Splash Pad, and it is closing June 10.”

With all the splash ducks now in order, Domanko, wouldn’t commit to a July 1st splash, but did suggest it is a possibility.

On hand representing the Morrisburg Splash Committee were Rosemary Laurin and Jack Barkley.